Neighbors rush to save residents from house fire in Newnan

NEWNAN, Ga. - Carlos Goncalves and neighbor Todd Hechler leaped into action when they saw smoke billowing from their neighbor's house on Stillwood Drive in Newnan Sunday afternoon.

"We pulled up and looked in the garage and we saw there was a fire on his lawnmower", Goncalves told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes.

Goncalves says they banged on the door and two men answered.  The men told them that an elderly woman was also inside the residence. The fire was spreading fast. "Couldn't go up through the front, ran in through the back, ran in didn't see her, came back out and she was up on the balcony."

By this time the men were joined by other neighbors.  They grabbed an extension ladder

and helped her climb down to safety.  At one point Goncalves made it onto the balcony himself to help the woman get down the ladder.

" I guess I wasn't thinking of it at the time it was just to get her safe or get her down but looking at it now it's scary, it went up fairly quick."

Both the elderly victim and Goncalves were transported to area hospitals and treated for smoke inhalation.

The Red Cross is assisting fire victims.  Newnan fire officials say they still don't know how the fire started.